Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet recording apparatus configured to record an image on both surfaces of a sheet.
Description of the Related Art
There is conventionally known an ink-jet recording apparatus capable of performing both of single-side printing for recording an image on one surface of a sheet and both-side printing for recording images on both surfaces of a sheet.
In such a well-known ink-jet recording apparatus, an image is recorded on one surface (referred to as a “first surface”) of a sheet conveyed through a first conveyance route to one side in a first direction, and the sheet is conveyed to a switchback conveyance part while being guided with a sheet guide member (a route switching part). The switchback conveyance part switches a conveyance direction of the sheet from one side in the first direction to the other side in the first direction. The sheet conveyed to the other side in the first direction enters a second conveyance route from the first conveyance route while being guided with the sheet guide member.
The sheet conveyed through the second conveyance route enters the first conveyance route so that image recording may be performed on an opposite surface (referred to as a “second surface”) of the first surface of the sheet. The sheet, of which second surface has been subjected to the image recording, is conveyed to one side in the first direction, and then discharged from the first conveyance route.
The sheet guide member is rotatably supported, in the first conveyance route, by a support shaft extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. Bringing the sheet conveyed through the first conveyance route to one side in the first direction into contact with the sheet guide member rotates the sheet guide member upward, thus allowing the sheet to be guided to the switchback conveyance part. When the sheet is conveyed to one side in the first direction in a state where a rear end (an upstream end at one side in the first direction) of the sheet is in contact with the sheet guide member, the sheet guide member rotates downward under its own weight. When the sheet is conveyed to the other side in the first direction by the switchback conveyance part in the state where the sheet guide member rotates downward, the sheet is guided by the sheet guide member to the second conveyance route.